


1946

by ExplainingTheIndescribable



Series: The Life and Times of Miss Union Jack [2]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, Oh boy where to start, Romance, all the cartinelli, everything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-27 04:10:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7602871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExplainingTheIndescribable/pseuds/ExplainingTheIndescribable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eventual Cartinelli. The start of their relationship, filled with misunderstandings, fluffy goodness, a generous helping of angst and a fair amount of plot too, along the way.<br/>This will mostly stick with canon up to the end of season 1, with some added scenes that could've happened but we didn't see...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just a drop

_Prologue_

“Hey Uncle, it’s Angie.”

“Ah my girl, how are you?”

His deep voice, though velvety, was only slightly less terrifying than it had been when she was a little kid. Whether it was the glint in his eye, or the fact that she had accidentally seen him handle some pretty unsavoury characters with some equally unsavoury methods, was anyone’s guess.

“I’m great Unc, how are things with you?”

She had to tread carefully when asking for favours.

“Things are well, mio tesoro. Your aunt is planning to make her famous ravioli for dinner tomorrow. I trust we will see you there?”

“Of course, you know ma wouldn’t let anyone miss Sunday lunches.”

There was a strained smile playing across her lips. She didn’t know for whose benefit.

There was an awkward stretch of silence as she worked up the courage to ask for a favour and he waited for her to state the true purpose of the call.

Angie cleared her throat.

“So I was a’wonderin’, you know that stuff you used to find out who was tryna double cross you last time you had a gut feeling?”

“Yes.”

“Could I maybe, I mean it’s okay if you haven’t got any or somethin’, but have you maybe got any of that stuff left?”

There was a pause as he considered her request.

“Are you in trouble my girl?”

“Oh no, no. Nothing like that. You see… It’s my, uh, my friend. She thinks this guy is cheatin’ on her and she’s having a rough time so I thought I’d try to help her out.”

She held her breath and hoped she was a better liar on the phone than in person.

“I see. You’re a good friend.”

“A’course Unc, but it’s what anyone would do.”

She silently released the breath she’d been holding and grinned. One day she’d win an Oscar for sure.

“Not everyone is as good as mio piccolo angelo Angela.”

Angie let Uncle Dante hear her fake laugh down the phone.

“I’ll have a bottle for you by tomorrow. Perhaps after lunch when your ma is looking the other way.”

“Sure thing Unc, thanks for helpin’ me out.”

“No worries, mio tesoro. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya then.”

Angie hung up the hall phone about four seconds before Peggy waltzed around the corner looking a lot less beat up than usual. She was even smiling broadly as she caught Angie’s eye.

“Hey Pegs. Good day?”

“Surprisingly, yes. Pretty good week overall as it happens.”

“Well that’s a turn up for the books! Though I’m glad to hear it. Hey, fancy celebrating with a bottle of schnapps at mine tomorrow?”

“That sounds wonderful Angie.”

“Great, I’ll see ya around 7pm?”

“Perfect.”

There was a beat where they each went to their respective doors, before Peggy paused. Jarvis’ words played through her mind. It wouldn’t hurt to let someone just a little bit closer...

“Angie.”

“Yeah, English?”

Peggy hesitated. Whether to protect Angie from getting too close and let herself suffer, or let the innocent be enveloped in her own crazy world....

“Sweet dreams.”

“It’s seven o’clock grandma!”

Peggy outright laughed.

“Fine, I take it back.”

She stuck her tougne out at Angie, who couldn’t help smiling back. Peggy would be ashamed to say she got lost in that beaming smile for a moment, but honestly it was so damn close to a perfect, dazzling moment that she couldn't bring herself to care. Though she very nearly blushed at being caught, as Angie raised an eyebrow cheekily. She averted her gaze for a moment and was drawn to the sight of her apartment through the slightly open door. It suddenly felt very dark and big and empty in there. And Angie was standing right there all beaming smile and warmth and bubbly-ness. In the split second it took for all of this to happen, Peggy did something she very rarely did. Peggy Carter changed her mind. Maybe for just one evening...

“So would you say that’s still early enough to play some cards? If you’re not otherwise engaged of course.”

Angie pretended to consider the offer for a moment, meandering slowly over to Peggy and stopping just in front of her with an innocent look playing across her features, one that was quickly ruined by a truly smug smirk.

“I think I could spare some time to whoop your ass at Blackjack.”

Peggy grinned in return and pushed her door all the way open, gesturing for Angie to go through first.

“Oh, it’s on.”

 

A/N Mio tesoro: My treasure (an Italian term of endearment)

Mio piccolo angelo Angela: My little angel Angela


	2. Chapter 2

“So, tell me, how did you meet Mr Fancy?”

As much as Angie was curious, she was also itching to get out of her work clothes, and settle down and relax and…. who was she kidding. If she’d cared that much she’d would’ve done it before phoning her uncle. Her eyes strayed briefly to Peggy’s lips. She was itching to do something else entirely. ~~Literally.~~

Angie bit her lip, repeating the same few words that fell from Peggy’s lips not too long ago, until it became a mantra in her head.

 _You’re amazing. You’re fearless. Totally, 110% fearless and totally not … a quivering mess of nerves because if she doesn’t like you back you’ll have gone and lost her forever. Your best friend will vanish from your life in the blink of an eye. Oh, and you could possibly end up in prison for indecency._ Angie’s mind started wandering at that point. She really didn’t want Peggy to have to move all the way to Armonk too.

Perhaps she shouldn't have had that glass of wine before dinner. Or that shot of schnapps-courage before using the phone. Then maybe she wouldn't have been trying to work up the courage to do something reckless, for the second time that day.

She came back into focus as she saw Peggy’s eyes grew wide and her hands gestured emphatically before resting back in her lap as her story finished just as quickly as it has started and she beamed at Angie.

“So you see it was all just a misunderstanding, really. Good job I didn’t hit him too hard.”

Angie grinned back. Poor Mr Fancy.... And she had to stop almost zoning every time Peggy did... well anything, really.

Of course then it became a lot tougher. She winked at Angie and grinned jovially. Angie tried to arrange her features into a similar state, but it was a bit difficult. 

Peggy Carter had just winked at her.

_Winked._

Yep, she was done for.

Thankfully her mouth was used to running a mile a minute, even though her brain wasn't quite there yet.

“That’s quite the tale.”

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

She didn’t need to be a spy to see Angie was somewhat out of sorts. She nudged her gently and Angie gulped.

“Is everything alright Angie?”

“A'course it is English, why wouldn’t it be.”

Peggy nodded slightly, arm still brushing against her side, small, relaxed smile playing across her lips, head tilted towards her like Angie was all that mattered in the world. A girl could get used to being looked at like that.

Angie held her gaze for a moment too longer than she would with any other friend, before tilting her own head and pressing her lips softly to Peggy’s perfectly lipstick’d ones.

After a split second Peggy pushed her away abruptly. Luckily for Angie, she was too woozy to notice the apparent instant rejection.

Two things ran through her mind in the moment before she succumbed to darkness. The first, was somewhere along the lines of ‘geez English knows how to knock a girl out’. The second, somewhat tainted the first, as she caught the mortified look on Peggy’s face as she fell backwards into the pillows. It was strange, she hadn’t thought of Pegs as one of _those_ types. The type to have a problem with Angie loving women. Angie blinked slowly before her eyelids became too heavy to keep open. Maybe she just had a problem with Angie loving _her_.

Peggy watched Angie fade into oblivion, utterly mortified that she’d allowed Angie to kiss her while she was wearing her Sweet Dreams lipstick. She took a moment to curse the misfortune; of course this is how their first kiss would play out. She hastily grabbing a tissue from her purse and rubbing the remaining lipstick away, allowing herself a small grin as she finished and caught sight of Angie, still wearing her uniform, and snoring gently on her bed.

Hopefully, if Angie woke up in a minute, they'd have another chance for a proper first kiss.

_What felt to Peggy like several hours later, but in reality was maybe two minutes_

Peggy was paying very careful attention to Angie's expression as she nudged her awake gently

"Angie?"

The Italian woman rubbed her eyes a second before sitting up in a heart-beat.

“Oh gosh Peg, I'm sorry, did I doze off? Must’ve had a harder day at work than I realised!”

Angie paused. Was she... did she kiss Peggy or was that a dream? What had just happened...

She turned and studied Peggy's face for a moment.

There was no sign of anger or dismissal. No attempt to shoo her out of her apartment... it must've been a dream.

Angie sent a quick prayer of thanks to whomever was listening that she hadn't done something stupid and lost her best gal pal, before standing up and attempting to quickly brush any wrinkles out of her uniform.

"Look Pegs, I'm sorry about the cards but I think I should go lie down or something. I feel funny, maybe I had some bad pie or something. Sorry again, for falling asleep on ya."

"Don't worry about it Angie. I understand."

So much for a second-chance at a first kiss.

Peggy's smile appeared forced for a moment before she was the perfect host and walked Angie the five steps to the door.

 Tomorrow was another day.


	3. In which Angie has a surprise up her sleeve and things aren’t as they seem

_Sunday night. 7.02pm_

“So, how are those boys down at the phone company treatin’ ya?”

Peggy smiled as she kicked off her slippers and turned to Angie, who was pouring the drinks on the dresser… and apparently slipping something into her glass? The genuineness in Peggy’s smile faltered.

“Oh, you know, no worse than usual.”

While she spoke there was a knock on the door.

Angie grinned at Peggy as she set the schnapps bottle down and took the two steps to the door.

“Ya know, I have older brothers if any of those boys ever need putting back in their place.”

It was said so light-heartedly.

“Hey Iowa, what can I do you for?”

Before Dottie could reply, Peggy took advantage of her arrival, using the distraction to walk over to the dresser and switch the drinks before taking another glass down from the shelf.

“Oh Dottie, perfect timing. We were just about to have a drink, care to join us?”

Angie threw her a look over her shoulder, to see Peggy already pouring her a serving of schnapps.

“The more the merrier.”

Angie held the door open for her and Dottie crept in, slightly surprised at the welcome after being so quickly brushed off when they first met, but seemingly grateful for the welcome wagon.

She shut the door behind her and turned to Angie.

“I was just thinking about going to Brooklyn bridge tomorrow and wondered if you’d like to join me? It was Peggy here who told me to check the place out. and I thought it might be nice to go together if you have the day off.”

The hopeful note to her sickly sweet tone made Angie slightly uncomfortable.

“Unfortunately I gotta work."

She offers her a strained smile before Peggy chimes in.

“Again?”

 “I know right, it’s like they think the whole place’ll fall apart without me!”

She grins and picks up two glasses, handing one to each of her guests, careful to hand Peggy the one on the far left, before taking the third, newest glass, for herself.

All three brings the glasses to their lips. As they drink Angie watches Peggy with a smile like she has a secret, Peggy watches Angie with a raised eyebrow at her antics, trying to conceal any suspicions she has until they are confirmed, and Dottie watches the both of them with a keen interest.

Angie tops up their glasses once more, before taking her refreshed glass and flopping backwards onto her bed.

“So, what’s it like in Iowa?”

Without hesitation Dottie replies.

“Oh I don’t know, I’ve never been.”

Angie and Peggy stared at her, with a mix of concern in innocent eyes and recognition for what ‘Miss Midwestern’ really is, in suspicious ones. Peggy sure was learning a lot about her neighbours at the Griffith today.

Dottie’s hand flies over her mouth briefly before she composes herself.

“How silly of me, one drink and I’m already forgetting… home.”

The last word comes out slightly strangled, as though forced.

“Excuse me ladies, I’ve just remembered I really have to call my… friend, before it gets too… late.”

Before either could reply, her lips were pressed tightly together and the forefinger knuckle of her clenched fist was held firmly over her mouth. With what Peggy thought might have been a glimpse of panic in her eyes, Dottie fled.

Peggy watched her go, debating which threat to deal with first when Angie stood up and rounded on her.

“You switched the glasses.”

Peggy was trying very hard to control her instant reaction to hold the threat pushed up against the wall by her throat. And not in a nice way. Because this was sweet, innocent, butter-wouldn't-melt _Angie_. But she could only give her so much benefit of the doubt.

“I saw you spike my drink. Who do you work for?”

Angie faltered. Peggy had never looked at her like his before. Soft eyes were replaced with a hard, piercing gaze and her no-nonsense tone was nothing short of accusatory.

“Whaddaya mean English? You’ve been to where I work, we met there!”

“Yes, it’s very convenient that you just happen to work at the diner I frequent.”

Angie imagined this was what an interrogation would feel like, and for all her acting and putting a brave face on, she suddenly felt close to tears. She was never very good at dealing with angry authority figures, and Peggy had very quickly gained a commanding air. She was most definitely in charge.

 “What are you talking about?”

Then Peggy stepped forward and leant over her slightly, she was close enough to see the ring of darker blue at the edge of her iris and feel Angie's breath tickle slightly against her collarbone.

Peggy levelled her gaze before saying something quietly in another language, after a beat Angie supposed it could’ve been Russian, but wasn’t thinking clearly enough to wonder how Peggy could’ve known the language.

When Angie continued to look startled and slightly defensive, Peggy stepped back, turned on her heel and left, shutting the door behind her as she went.

_Down the hall_

“Mr Jarvis, I need you to meet me at our pre-arranged location within the next half hour. I’ve just been made aware of a new threat. Yes…Right… Yes, of course. Goodbye Mr Jarvis.”

After the phone call Peggy paused for a moment, looking at Angie’s door. Then she made her decision.

She went into her room and pulled out the large army-issue rucksack she kept under her bed. After rooting around for a moment, her hand brushed metal and she knew she’d found what she wanted. She straightened up, then took a moment to steel herself before checking that the corridor was empty and proceeding one door down.

She knocked, to which she received no response, but it was now or never.

Peggy pushed against the door and it gave way softly, revealing Angie huddled up in the corner of her bed. She turned to face the movement, and saw Peggy looking at her with a strange expression playing across her features.

“Angie, I’m sorry.”

She crossed to the bed slowly, with both hands hidden behind her back.

“What just happened?”

“I’m not sure how to explain it, darling,” She joined Angie, sitting on the edge of the bed carefully, “but it doesn’t matter.”

Angie had half an instant to look confused. Peggy’s hand swiftly came out from behind her back and then Angie felt the cold press of metal at her temples, which only lasted a moment. Peggy looked away as Angie collapsed backwards onto her pillows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Okay, before anyone does anything, please pay attention to the second half of the chapter title. Also, there’s a breadcrumb in there if you can find it, which hints at what’s actually happening and going to happen next. Kudos to you if you can find it – it's pretty tiny.


	4. Investigation

Angie groaned. She felt like she’d been hit upside the head with that tome of a dictionary her father had bought her for secretary school.

She grumbled out of bed and fetched a glass of water, taking a few big gulps before refilling the glass and sitting back on her bed. That was when she noticed she wasn’t wearing her pyjamas… she must’ve been more tired than she realised. That was perfectly reasonable, if somewhat strange for her. She loved her pyjamas and comfy socks. Brushing it off she thought back to last night… ah, the alcohol. She grinned, that made more sense. Although she did only remember having two glasses… along with Dottie and Peggy both leaving in a rush? That part seemed blurry though. Angie’s frowned faded as her shoulders relaxed, it would probably come back to her at some point.

Next door, Peggy had already finished her morning routine and was stepping out of the shower when she heard Rose’s voice along the hall. Silently thanking Mr Jarvis for not panicking after their meeting and managing to get a message to Sousa, it would’ve been damn near impossible for her to have a private conversation with him on the hall phone. For once, Howard’s inventions were doing some good. Well, the ‘untappable’ button on his home phone anyway.

She glanced at the clock on her desk, the SSR were early. And thank heavens they’d thought to assign this to Rose; Mrs Fry would’ve had a fit if one of their male co-workers had been sent instead. Peggy would’ve grinned at the thought of Mrs Fry’s out-raged expression should a man attempt to breach the first floor, if it hadn’t been Angie that Rose was here to collect.

The thought made her chest constrict tightly.

_But Angie’s innocent!_

Her gut would’ve been screaming at her if it had possessed the capacity.

She doubted herself for a moment before ignoring her instinct quickly getting dressed.

She was too emotionally involved with Angie, she couldn’t trust her gut on this one.

After a beat, she pressed her ear to the door, Rose kept her talking until the sleeping pill took effect. Poor darling Angie.  She brushed the thought off. Damn feelings.

As soon as the heard the tell-tale muffled _thump_ of a body hitting the floor, Peggy went to Angie’s door. She knocked the signal softly, before opening the door to find Rose kneeling next to a little conked-out Italian.

“Thank goodness. The muscle has arrived.”

Peggy laughed softly.

“Any trouble getting in?”

“None. Although you know, I wish I could say you’d been exaggerating about your landlady.”

“So do I.”

Rose offered her a consoling pat on the back.

“I’ll carry her down via the dumbwaiter. Mrs Fry will want to sign you out.”

“Sure thing Pegs. Meet you at the car. Black sedan on the right-hand corner as you leave the building.”

 Peggy nodded.

“You’re a star, Rose.”

Rose winked back.

“You’re not so bad yourself Peg.”

Peggy shook her head and chuckled, before hoisting Angie up and carrying her over her shoulder.

_~A short car ride later~_

Thomson patted Angie’s cheeks with rough hands. They were the first thing Angie noticed as she woke up. She second being that she did not remember how she came to be handcuffed to a desk in what looked like a particularly small and dingy waiting room. It reminded her of the waiting room of last audition she’d gone to.

“Ah, sleeping beauty’s back with us.”

Angie squinted at the guy, still feeling groggy.

“What… Who are you?”

The disgust in her voice was evident. He looked sleazy enough to deserve it, despite the suit. Besides, they’d handcuffed her, def

“I, am a man looking for answers.”

“Says the guy who drugged and kidnapped me.”

She deadpanned right back.

Standing among a few other agents and Dooley himself, Peggy was forced to hide her grin on the other side of the one-way mirror.

“Now, now Miss Martinelli, play nice.”

“I’ll tell you what. If you’re nice, to me, I won’t tell me brothers to come find you and beat the crap outta you. I got connections you know.”

It was a bluff, and the worst possible thing Angie could’ve said.

All traces of Peggy ever having smiled in her life vanished as she felt a lead weight drop to her stomach.

“Leviathan.”

Peggy whispered the word  before Dooley clapped Peggy on the shoulder.

“Good job Carter.  We wouldn’t have found her without your help.”

Dooley was already standing to leave, ready to call his bosses and inform of their captor when words Peggy hadn’t fully decided to say were hanging into the air.

“May I, interrogate her next?”

Dooley considered for a moment.

“You know her, right?”

Peggy swallowed and nodded

 “Yes, sir. We were neighbours.”

“And you think that personal connection’s not gonna interfere here?”

“No, it won’t sir. If anything, it means I know which buttons to press. I can break her, sir.”

She bit her lip, hoping against hope that he couldn't tell she was fibbing through her teeth, but she couldn't let Thomson break her. He took things far too literally in that respect.

He considered this information for a moment.

“Yeah, I can let you take this one home. You’ve earned it Carter.”

"Thank you, chief."

Peggy’s features arranged themselves into a small smile to show her gratitude. This was going to be… interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N See, Angie’s fine…! Well ish. She’d gonna be up against Peggy soon after all… :s  
> For anyone who didn’t catch it, the clue was ‘temples’, plural, because if it had been a gun instead of the memory inhibitor, she would’ve just felt it one side of her head. Science yo.


	5. If I only had a time machine

_~Post Peggy’s interrogation of Angie~_

“You’ve made quite the mess.”

Dooley glared as Peggy sat ramrod straight on the opposite side of the desk. Thomson strutted around the office, for no other reason than that he was simply enjoying Peggy Carter’s reputation go down the drain, along with Dooley’s trust of her. His reproach lasted for as long as his anger did, which quickly fizzled out. He’d thought Carter might’ve been one of the good ones, even if she wasn’t as talented or able as the guys in the office. Dooley had noticed that she’d always held her own, and now she’d let them down.

“Go home.”

“Yes Chief.”

She rose and turned towards the door.

“Peggy?”

Her head swivelled back to face him, meeting his gaze head-on.

“Take your things with you.”

“But Chief-“

“I don’t want to hear it Carter.”

“Sir, with all due respect, it was one mistake. Everyone here is guilty of that-“

 “Peggy-”

“-and they’re all still here!”

She raised her hands to emphasis her point. She filed the paperwork, she damn well knew everyone had messed up on at least one case or another. Frankly, Agent Bennett was damn near a hazard with a gift of messing up even the simplest of milk runs.

 “Peggy-“

“A second-chance doesn’t seem too much to ask when it’s what every other agent in the bureau has received.”

“They didn’t capture a civilian! Damn near torture her for information that she doesn’t have! And now she knows about the existence of the SSR, your cover is blown, hell she could take us to the press and make a quick buck in the ten minutes it takes for all this to come crashing down around our ears!”

Peggy would’ve winced if she wasn’t absolutely determined not to display any crack in her carefully crafted armour. She refused to give Dooley, Thomson, or anyone else, the satisfaction.

“I can fix this, if-“

“No! No more Carter. You were a good agent, but mistakes like that, there’s no coming back from. You’re done here.”

Peggy stood there, quietly fuming for a moment as she thought through her options, before Jack spoke.

“C’mon Marge. Do as the man says.”

Jack nudged her shoulder as she spoke. If anyone asked later, she could blame instinct for the way she punched him when he tried to guide her elbow. She could very easily say the unexpected touch startled her and her war-honed reflexes just kicked in.Or that her fist just slipped when she was reaching for.... something. It would’ve been a lie, but she could have said it.

Within fifteen minutes, Peggy’s desk was cleared and she held her personal effects in a medium-sized box in front of her.

16 hour days at the ‘office’ for months, yet this and more than a couple of bruises were all she had to show for it.

She knew Howard was on the run, but she just didn’t care any longer. There was nothing else she could do about it as a surveilled civilian (there was no way anyone just 'left' the SSR. The process involved being tailed for up to six months afterwards... although maybe being female, and constantly underestimated would now be of some benefit... She shook her head and stood in a perfect solider pose as she waited for the elevator with her head held high. Even thought it was only for show.

In the span of 36 hours, she’d lost her job and along with it her purpose. Not to mention that she’d interrogated the woman who was the closest thing she’d had to a best-friend since high school. She didn’t let herself think about Angie as any more than that, that was the point where her heart started to hurt. Plus she no longer on good terms with Mr Jarvis. She’d been too busy assuming she knew best for that. And usually she did. As she stood on the grey pavements beneath the cloudy sky and waited at a crossing she started to wonder, this had all happened so fast… Rome wasn't built in day, but Pompeii was sure as hell destroyed in an afternoon, and that pretty much summed up her current state of existence. Maybe being paranoid wasn’t _always_ the best response to a given situation. Fair enough, it had saved her life on multiple occassions, but it had also cost her the things and people that gave her the strength to do more than just exist. There was just one person left. She was nearly home. After a moment’s thought, she put the box of things from her desk next to a homeless guy and hailed a cab.

Less than twenty minutes later, Howard’s face greeted her at the door.

“Peggy! What a pleasant surprise… come to tell me you’ve cleared my name?”

Her lip quivered as a hairline fracture started to appear in her usually reserved, if amenable, mask. It was at that moment the unfairness of it all hit her. Howard’s name would never be cleared because the intolerable dunderheads that were still employed at the SSR, were either unable to see beyond the tip of their nose between jumping to false conclusions.

Another thing to add to her ever-growing list of accomplishments for today…

Noticing the change in her expression and without saying a word, Howard stepped forward and pulled her into a bear hug right on the doorstep. After a beat Peggy re-composed herself and stepped back, pulling a handkerchief out of her bag as she did so.

“Sorry, to turn up out of the blue Howard.”

He shook his head. That was Peggy-speak for ‘I don’t want to talk about it and I need a friend’. Well, that’s what he figured from the one time it had happened before.

“Rough day at the office?”

“Something like that.”

He stroked his moustache.

“I just bought a ten thousand dollar bottle of bourbon. What do you say we see what it tastes like?”

Peggy’s lips curved into a small smile at both his continual extravagances and his kindness.

“That sounds wonderful.”

_~Around 3am at one of Howard’s secret residences: Location unknown~_

Howard stared at the pronged metal contraption lying innocently in the drawer in front of him. If Peggy were there, he supposed she’d have commented on that. That most things are innocent, it’s the people who use them that aren’t.

“Are you quite certain this is the right course of action?”

Jarvis could nothing more than stand a few feet behind him and act as though he were comfortable with Howard’s latest plan.

“There’s no doubt in my mind Jarvis.”

“Quite,” Jarvis paused for a beat, “well, if my assistance is no longer required Mr Stark, I think I should head to bed. Anna will start to wonder where I’ve got to.”

“Howard turned slightly away from the open drawer in front of him.

“You know you can’t tell her?”

Jarvis stopped in his tracks, resting an open palm on the doorframe just ahead of him, as though it would take some of the weight of the world off his shoulders.

“I know. None of them must ever know.”

“And you’re not going to tell her? I know how bad you feel about keeping secrets.”

Howard offered him a crooked grin, but got only a firm nod in response.

“It’s for the greater good.”

Howard nodded and Jarvis continued on his way.

He repeated those five words like they were stuck on a loop in his brain as he lay in bed that night, when he brushed his teeth the next morning, and every other moment for the following weeks when he would catch Peggy’s eye and feel a sharp pang of guilt.

_It’s for the greater good._


End file.
